Resident values

‘India Down the Ages’ is her brainchild,a short 21-minute play she both created and wrote. The play is being performed for the Rotary Club and NRIPA members. “The play is a glimpse of India through the ages,from the Harappan Era to the present times,but we also look at the Aryan Era,the Religious Era,Sikhism and Buddhism,” she says. It features a running commentary of each era which Taneja herself wrote,along with music to accompany the different eras. “For example,when we look into Buddhism,the scene will feature music of that time and era,” she says. Since the play is short,the commentary consists of a few important lines for each era. One era,which Taneja wanted to particularly shine a spotlight on,was the Freedom Struggle and the British Raj. “I wanted to do so in memory of Bhagat Singh,” she explains.

Creating this play was no mean feat. Not only was Taneja responsible for directing a cast of 39 actors,who are also NRIPA members but are also between the ages of 65 and 80 years old. Taneja says that the cast members have overcome their age and various physical limitations in order to act in this play. “Despite their age,these actors wanted to overcome this obstacle and perform on stage,” she adds. At the end of the play,Taneja has planned for one of her actors to hand down the Indian flag to a young boy,who will represent the next generation. “I wanted to salute the next generation,so that they remember everything India has gone through,in its struggle for freedom,and realise the importance of our Indian heritage and history,” she says.

Taneja also believes that the play conveys a very strong message of handing down India’s long,vibrant and proud history,to those of the younger generations both abroad and within India. “While it is particularly hard for those abroad,I feel even in India we,the older generations should also actively participate in educating our younger generations,” she says.

(India Down the Ages is being held on march 29 at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Pune Kendra,Shivraj Nagar and starts at 7pm.)